combs



. G. W. COM BS.

Car Brake.

' Patented April 14, 1868.

gotten tastes first: ffitr'.

GEORGE W. COMBS, OF CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND J. B.MURRAY & SONS. OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 76,715, dated April 14, 1868.

IMPROVED CAR-BRAKE.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Cones, of Oanandaigua, in the county ofOntario, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovemcntin Oar-Brakes and Couplings for Railroad-Cars; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part ofthis specification, in which the construction is shown in a sideelevation of a car with my improvements attached.

My improvements consist in, firstly, an automatic coupling, and,secondly, a. brake, which, in case of the car running oil the track,will be immediately applied to the wheels to check the momentum of thecar, and, at the same time, acting upon the coupling, disengage thecars. This hrnlce is not designed for use in the ordinary stopping ofthe train, but to not automatically in case of accident. I t may be,l1'()0V0l',-SO arranged and connected by levers that it may be used asan ordinary brake, and yet act automatically in case of accident.

In the annexed drawings, A is the truck of a car, and B B are thewheels. The rubbers C C are placed between the wheels, being pressedoutwardly and against the rims of the wheels by the toggle-joint D D,hinged to the cross-beam E. This beam is suspended from the truck by theslotted hangers I", which permit the crossbcam to be raised to actuatethe toggle-jointed brake. This may be accomplished by means oi aseriesof levers,

operated by hand, or by means of the weight of the car falling on thebeam E, when the wheels are thrown from the track. The cross-beam is soplaced that while ordinarily above the track, it will rest against thetrack whenever the wheels are oil the-track. The full weight of the caris, in the latter case, exerted upon the toggle joint to press therubbers against the rim of the wheels.

The cars are disconnected, when one of them runs off the track, in thefollowing manner: The beam E is hinged to the beam E at one cornea-,nsshown in the drawings. The arm G is fastened to the beam E. It issurrounded by the coiled spring G. The arm H is fastened to the hingedbeam E. Itis drawn toward the arm G by the coiled spring H. The arm IIbeing bent at right angles, as shown, its point is drawn, by the Ispring I-I, through an eye in the arm G,a\'l1ere it holds down the upperend of the spiral spring G. When,

however, the wheels leave the track, the weight of the car falling onthe beam E, it will be forced upward against the beam E, thereby drawingbuck the arm H, and withdrawing its point from the eye in the arm Cr,and releasing the spring G, which will force upward the lover I, throughwhich the arm G passes.

The cars are coupled by means of a. pin, K, attached to a spring, K,which presses the pin upward an keeps the link secured. The end of thelover I is bent, so as to rest on the spring K The lever being pivotedin the middle, it followsthat, when the end attached to the arm G isforced up, by releasing the spring G, the bent end will force down thespring K and draw the pin K. out of the link. The springs G and K mustbe so proportioned that the pressure of the spring G will be suilicientto bend the spring K.

The coupling may be operated automatically in the following manner: Thearm K is pivoted to-the spring K. It is notched at the upper end, asshown, to hold the spring pressed down, and thepin withdrawn from thechamber in the draw-head. This is accomplished by a staple in thedraw-bar, against which the shoulder of the notch may rest. When theears are run together, the concussion forcing the draw-head back, willcause the end of the arm K to strike against the frame of the car, anddisengage the notch, and allow the pin K to rise, passing through thelink and coupling the cars.

M is aj'aw placed within the chamber in the draw-head. It is presseddown by a spring, h It is curved upward at the point to form a. guide todirect the link into the draw-head, where it is confined by the pin Kbetween the jaw M and the bottom of the draw-head.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is- V 1. In combination with the wheels B, the intermediately-placedbrakes C C, connected by a toggle-joint, D D, and beam E, suspended upontheslotted hangers I and so arranged in relation to the track that whenthe cars are thrown from the track, the weight of the car shall beapplied-rte press the brakes against the wheels, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination of the beams E and automatically disconnecting a carwhen thrown from 3. The combination of the draw-bar L, jaw M,substantially as and for'the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to tbi'sspecification in thep1- E, arms G and H, spring Gr, lever I, spring K, and pin K, for

the track, substantially in the manner set forth. spring K, and pin Kand arm K arranged to operate esenee of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. COMBS.

Witnesses:

T. HINMAN SMITH, F. H. WHITWELL.

